Workout plan for women, part #1: Legs.

This article will talk about building a training program for the development of quadriceps, hamstrings and buttocks.

In today's world, there is nothing more difficult to develop than the muscle group of the lower extremities. Women are constantly looking for new methods and principles of training to make their legs slender and their buttocks round and dense.

But the truth is that training legs is not that complicated if you know what to do and are motivated enough to do it.

Strong buttocks, wide, firm and dense thighs, toned calves are a manifestation of feminine strength and beauty. The legs are one of the largest and most complex parts of the entire body. They can be divided into two main muscle groups – the quadriceps (quadriceps) and the hamstrings (hamstrings).

But the article would not be complete if I did not include the principles of training the gluteal muscles. A complete ensemble of muscle groups of the lower part of an attractive female figure.

Quadriceps.

The quadriceps femoris muscle (quadriceps) consists of four separate muscles.

Rectus femoris muscle
Vastus lateralis (external) muscle
Vastus medialis (internal) muscle
Vastus intermedius muscle

The quadriceps muscles are involved in extension of the knee joint. The rectus femoris muscle, together with the iliopsoas muscle, lifts the thigh towards the chest.

Biceps femoris.

The biceps femoris consists of four muscle groups.

Long head of the biceps muscle
Short head of the biceps muscle
Semitendinosus muscle.
Semitransverse muscle (semimembranosus).

The function of the femoral biceps is to flex the leg at the knee joint, help the gluteus maximus muscle in straightening the body, rotate the lower leg when the knee is bent, and outwardly rotate the lower leg.

Buttocks.

The buttocks are formed by three main muscles:

The gluteus maximus is the largest and most prominent of the gluteal muscles.
The gluteus medius is a small muscle that sits laterally on top of the gluteus maximus.
The gluteus minimus is a small muscle located laterally under the gluteus maximus and is therefore not visible at all.

The glutes support the hamstrings when you need to increase your speed. When you walk slowly, they hardly work. But when you speed up and start running, your buttocks are actively involved in the work.

The gluteal muscles help the quadriceps to extend and rotate the thigh outward, and together with the muscles of the back of the thighs, they extend the torso from a tilted position.

Luckily for you ladies, you are naturally stronger in your legs than any other part of your body. In fact, you are proportionately stronger in the legs than men in relation to the rest of the muscle groups. Therefore, “lagging leg muscles” is not even an excuse!

Multi-joint exercises.

Squats.

Execution options: barbell, dumbbells, Smith machine, Hackenschmidt machine
Type of execution: split squats, wide stance, shoulder width apart, narrow stance, front squats.

Leg press.

Execution options: incline press, horizontal press, Smith machine.
Foot width: wide foot position, shoulder-width apart, narrow foot position, single leg press.
Placing your feet on the platform: top of the cart, middle part of the cart.

Lunges.

Execution options: dumbbells, barbell, Smith machine.
Type of execution: walking, reverse lunges, curtsies, Bulgarian lunges, side lunges.

Leg training at home

Due to the fact that there are no special exercise machines and barbells in the apartment, it will be more difficult for a girl to pump up her legs at home. The only effective training method in this case will be multi-repetition high-intensity training.

The most effective exercises for training legs at home are plie squats, lunges, jumping jacks, and calf raises.

Plie squats

A feature of this type of squats is the wide stance of the legs, which allows you to shift the emphasis of the load from the lumbar muscles to the back of the thigh (femoral biceps). This exercise also effectively works the quadriceps (front) and gluteal muscles.

Technique:

Spread your feet wider than shoulder level.
Place your palms at chest level.
Tighten your stomach and straighten your spinal column.
While inhaling slowly, lower your body down (at the lowest point a right angle should appear between the shin and thigh).
As you exhale, quickly return to a standing position.
Perform 15-20 repetitions, then rest for 60-90 seconds. and do 4 more similar approaches.

Lunges

This exercise effectively works the hamstrings and quadriceps muscles. The buttocks and lumbar extensor muscles receive additional stress.

Sequencing:

Take a standing position.
Place your palms on your lower back.
Bring your shins together.
Tighten your stomach and straighten your back.
As you inhale, take a step forward with your left leg, transferring the weight of your entire body onto it (the right leg should lower down until your knee touches the floor).
As you exhale, return to a standing position.
Perform a similar lunge on your right leg.
Do 14-16 repetitions for each leg.
Rest for a minute and a half and perform 3 more similar series.

Jumping

The main advantage of this exercise is its ability to create a high functional load in the front of the thigh and buttocks. The calves are also subject to significant work.

Implementation technique:

Place your feet shoulder-width apart.
Lower yourself into a squat position.
Straighten your arms in front of you at chest level (this position will be the starting position).
Tighten your abdominal muscles, straighten your spine and inhale.
As you exhale, make a powerful jump up.
Return to starting position.
Using a similar technique, do another 10-12 repetitions.
After a two-minute rest, perform 4 more sets.

Calf raises

The exercise makes it possible to effectively train the calf muscles. It is recommended for girls who have very thin legs in the lower leg area.

Technique:

Stand with your toes on a small hill - you can use a board, book or other object that is about 5-7 cm thick.
Place your hands on the wall in front of you or grab onto doors to maintain balance.
In a fast, pump style, perform 30-40 calf raises.
Rest for 1-2 minutes and do another 3-4 approaches.

Lesson plan

Girls who are just starting to get acquainted with strength training are recommended to start with a simple training program designed for a week. The peculiarity of this scheme is the frequent training and low volume of loads. This approach will help you get used to the training process and master the technique of performing exercises.

Table: example of a training plan for a week

Day of the week	Exercises
Monday	Plie squats + jumps
Tuesday	Calf raises
Wednesday	Day off
Thursday	Lunges + jumps
Friday	Calf raises
Saturday	Plie squats + lunges
Sunday	Day off

Starting next Monday, leg training at home for girls starts anew.

After 4-6 weeks, it is recommended to move on to a 1-month training program. Its peculiarity is that training is carried out only 2 times a week, but the load in each lesson increases significantly.

Table: example of a training program for a month

Number	Exercises
1	Plie squats + lunges + calf raises
7	Jumping + lunges + calf raises
13	Lunges + plie squats + jumping jacks
20	Jumping jacks + squats + calf raises
27	Plie squats + calf raises + lunges + jumping jacks

After the end of the monthly cycle, you can add other exercises to the program, change the sequence of their implementation, increase or decrease the intensity and volume of work. This must be done to prevent the muscles from getting used to the load.

On days off from leg training, it is advisable to include one or two sessions to work the middle and upper parts of the body. This is necessary for the proportional development of the entire muscular system of the body.

Isolation exercises.

Quadriceps.

Leg extension in the simulator
Sissy squats

Biceps femoris.

Barbell and dumbbell rows on straight legs
Romanian barbell deadlift
Leg curls while lying in a machine or with dumbbells held between your legs, leg curls while standing in a machine.
Good morning

Buttocks.

Swing your leg while kneeling
Swing your leg from the lower block backwards while standing
Swing your leg from the lower block to the side while standing
Smith leg press while kneeling
Weighted gluteal bridge
Raising the pelvis while lying on your back on a bench
Leg raises in the simulator

Exercises for the muscles of the back of the thigh

Exercises for the muscles of the entire surface of the back of the thigh help maintain the flexibility of the legs. By loading this muscle group at the same time, you can work the buttocks, calves and inner thighs.

The group of basic exercises for training all the muscles of the back of the thigh includes:

bending standing and lying legs;
deadlift on straight legs.

They are performed starting with several repetitions, gradually increasing the load.

Type of exercise	Number of repetitions	Number of approaches
Standing leg curl	5-10	2-3
Lying leg curl	7-15	3
Straight-legged deadlift	8-10	2

Leg curls in the simulator

You need to lie face down to perform leg curls on the machine bench.

The knees are left outside the support, and the ankles rest on the bolsters.
Hands grab the side handles.
As you exhale, strongly straining your thigh muscles, you need to lift the weight and bend your knees. The rollers are lifted with the legs as close to the buttocks as possible.
With an inhalation, smoothly straighten your legs and stand up straight.

Standing leg curl

To perform a standing leg curl exercise on a machine, you need to adjust the roller on the equipment so that it is above your ankle.

One leg should be placed behind the upper roller, and the other should be rested with the knee on the lower roller.
The hands are placed on the handrails, the back is kept straight, and the stomach is pressed against the pads.
As you exhale, you need to raise your working leg up and for 2 seconds. detain.
With an inhalation, the leg is returned back and the exercise is repeated a specified number of times.

Deadlift on straight legs

One of the main basic exercises for girls is the deadlift, which is performed on straight legs and is aimed at working the entire back of the thigh.

In the starting position, you need to stand close to a barbell with a small weight or a bar.
Place your legs parallel and keep your back straight.
You need to bend over and grab the barbell with an overhand grip at a shoulder-width distance.
Bend at the waist and, as you exhale, lift your legs upward until your legs are completely straightened. The tilts are repeated as many times as possible.

Synergetic exercises.

By incorporating these exercises into your other workouts, you can get extra stimulation from your leg muscles.

Classic deadlift (back)
Raising the barbell from the floor and pressing overhead (shoulders)
You can also work on your leg muscles by doing cardio, sprinting, running up stairs, or cycling.

Multi-joint exercises are great because they activate the entire muscle mass of the legs. By bending your hips and extending your knees in one full movement, you can lift much more weight and also save time in the gym.

Read also: How to pump up a girl’s buttocks: the effectiveness of training.

Multilevel exercises also burn more calories, require more intensity, and are much more effective than isolation exercises. Make compound movements a staple of your leg workout and add isolation for extra polish.

Choose 2-3 compound movements and 2 isolation movements - one each for the hamstrings and quadriceps - so you can work your legs with enough intensity to stimulate muscle growth and increase strength.

Leg muscle training in the gym

It's natural that you lift light weights because you don't want to become a "jock." As this thought sinks into your brain, remember that your muscles won't change unless there's a good reason to. Muscles grow in response to stimulus. They won't grow until you start working hard on them.

By training your hips and glutes, you will make your legs straighter and your butt rounder and firmer.

And no matter what they say, muscle mass will give your curves more volume. Working on muscles and maintaining results takes a lot of effort and energy, so you'll burn more calories without even thinking about it!

Days on which you work on your legs are especially difficult. And it doesn’t matter that these days you hate everything around you, in the end your work will pay off in full and you will build beautiful legs!

Sets and reps.

The leg muscles respond well to high-repetition work. I recommend doing your heaviest sets in the 8-12 rep range for 3-4 working sets. Don't forget to also do 2-3 warm-up sets for each muscle group.

Start your workout with 20-25 repetitions and work according to the straight pyramid principle, gradually increasing the weight of the apparatus and decreasing the number of repetitions with each new approach.

Of course, everyone knows that changing the order of reps is a good way to shock the muscles, so for some exercises, especially isolation exercises, feel free to raise the rep range to 30, and for multi-joint exercises (especially squats), lowering the rep range to 4 is the best way to increase strength leg muscle indicators.

Do you need a diet?

You don’t need to be on a diet, in the sense that Lisa magazine understands it. But proper nutrition is 90% of success, especially for girls. No matter how much time you spend on training, without a proper diet, all efforts are in vain - you will not be able to lose weight or build muscle.

If the main goal is weight loss, then eat with a calorie deficit, train intensely (12-15 repetitions per set, 40-60 seconds rest).

For muscle growth, eat with a surplus of calories (for girls this is about 200-300 in addition to calories for maintaining weight), do no more than 12 repetitions per set and rest for 60-90 seconds (i.e. you will use the weight of the weight with which You won’t be able to do the exercise more than 12 times).

Frequency, duration and intensity of training.

Unless your legs are a weak (lagging) part of your body, train them only once a week. If it's a lagging body part, you still shouldn't train it more than once a week. Why?

Legs are the largest muscle mass in our body; training them is considered very intense in relation to other muscle groups and takes quite a lot of time to work them out in one workout. Therefore, their recovery takes longer, up to a week.

If you bomb your legs at maximum intensity twice a week, you won't give them enough time to recover from the previous workout and will end up overtraining your muscles and causing constant pain.

But, if you suddenly feel that your legs are rested after two or three days after training, and you are ready for the second round of the week, then know that you are not training with enough intensity!

Many athletes split their leg workouts into two sessions, working the quads on one day and the hamstrings on the other.

This concept also has its place, but the fact is that you cannot work one of these muscle groups in isolation with complex multi-joint movements without involving another muscle group in the work. And if you follow this type of program, you will get a leg workout twice a week.

There are certain ways to perform exercises to prioritize one muscle group over another. This is a great idea if one of the leg muscles is “lagging”; However, if you overdo it, then, as I said, you risk overtraining, developing permanent muscle pain, which in turn can lead to unpleasant consequences.

In terms of intensity, you should train fairly hard, combining strength, multi-joint exercises with isolation movements.

If after the training you want to do a couple more exercises on the machines as a “polish” (for example, abducting, spreading legs), then you did the main training poorly!

Muscle tone - what is it?!

So many women use this word and honestly don't really know what it means! In fitness and bodybuilding there are two main goals: gaining muscle mass and burning fat (working for relief)

You either want to do one or the other, or both. You cannot “tone” any part of your body. So decide what goal you want to achieve and center your training around it.

If you have "big" legs - and when I say big, I mean bigger in comparison to your upper body. First, determine whether size depends on the amount of subcutaneous fat or the amount of muscle gained. This is not so difficult to determine. If it's muscle size, you should have good outer development in your hips, the lower quadriceps (teardrop muscle) should be visible, and there shouldn't be a lot of subcutaneous fat on your legs.

Read also: Leg training by Ashley Hoffmann.

The muscles of the back of the thighs should look round and tight. In other words, your legs may be big, but they should still be very tight. If the legs do not have enough muscle support, they will appear loose and flabby. The optimal amount of subcutaneous fat should be kept at least 11%.

How many average women do you know who maintain such a low body fat percentage all year round? The list will be insignificant. Try to look past this when identifying your weak parts of the body. Pay attention to muscle development, not fat reserves. Everything else will depend on your current nutrition plan.

How long should the workout last?

A workout in the gym necessarily includes a warm-up, a loading part and a strengthening part. Everyone selects their own exercise program, taking into account the fact that at the beginning of the workout you need to warm up the muscles and ligaments well in order to prepare them for the load. Warming up takes from 7 to 15 minutes.

The main part of the workout is focused on performing basic and isolated exercises for individual muscle groups. It also includes cardio training. All exercises are performed in 2-3 sets several times, which takes from 30 to 60 minutes. Finally, you need to perform several stretching exercises to consolidate the effect and bring the body into a calm state.

In general, the duration of the workout depends on the level of training and the training program and ranges from 40 to 90 minutes. Exercises in the gym, including leg exercises, should not have a clear duration. It is important to constantly monitor your well-being.

If possible, lengthen it or, conversely, if you feel unwell or in a bad mood, shorten it so that playing sports brings only positive emotions. This is the only way to achieve quick and visible results from working out in the gym.

Gaining muscle mass.

If your goal is to add size to your legs, you must perform heavy, deep barbell squats!

Not Smith machine squats, not leg presses, but free weight squats in a power rack. This is the basis for building beautiful, muscular legs.

Perfect the technique of this exercise until you can squat with your eyes closed. Practice, but a Smith machine is perfect for this, and a good trainer who will teach you safe movement techniques.

Perform heavy squats every week, supplement them with multi-joint exercises such as leg presses, lunges, and hack squats.

Again, make sure your technique is perfect. Begin the movement with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, chest up, shoulders back, abs and lower back tight, and knees slightly bent.

As you inhale, slowly begin to squat, keeping your back straight. Move your pelvis back as if you want to sit in a chair. Try to shift your center of gravity to your heels and midfoot.

Don't lean forward. When your thighs are parallel to the floor or slightly lower, pause for a second.

As you exhale, begin to stand up, pushing the weight up. Look ahead or slightly up. Remember, even though you are squatting with a fairly heavy weight, do not violate the movement technique, do not let the weight on the bar crush you and tip you forward or force you to round your back. The weight of the projectile should be increased taking into account the same conditions - strict adherence to technique.

Exercise for calf muscles

Leg exercises in the gym must include a group of loads for the calf muscles, which must strengthen and grow in proportion to other muscles.

Systematic loading of the calves, as well as its gradual increase, gives quick and significant results. Your legs stop getting tired, climbing stairs doesn’t cause shortness of breath, and your movements become easy and smooth.

Comprehensive calf muscle training includes:

standing on your toes;
lifting in a leg press machine;
sitting up on your toes.

Standing calf raise

To properly practice calf raises, stand up while standing, place your feet narrower than your shoulders, and spread your toes to the sides. It is very important to keep your back straight and your shoulder blades together during training.

Inhaling, you need to rise on your toes very high and stay in this position for 1-2 seconds.
Then lower down slowly while exhaling. You need to place your heels on the floor smoothly, without hitting.

Calf raises on a leg press machine

In the simulator you need to sit down and place your toes on the very bottom of the platform. The angle of inclination between the legs and torso is maintained at approximately 90°.

Your knees should be left slightly bent and narrower than your shoulders. Toes point forward.
With an exhalation, you need to lift the platform up, contracting the calf muscles, and at the point for 2-3 seconds. fix the position.
Inhale and return to the starting position.

Seated calf raise

You need to sit on a bench so that your feet are flat on the floor. Keep your back straight.

A load (dumbbells, barbell) is placed on the knees.
With an inhalation, holding the load with your hands, slowly raise your feet onto your toes and hold them in this position for 2 seconds.
With an exhalation, the heels are lowered to the floor.

Symmetry.

Good leg symmetry is very important for competitive women and is still very important for amateurs. You should have firm, round buttocks, good splayed quads and hamstrings, with firm calves tapering to the ankles.

From the side, your quads and hamstrings should look equal, and both muscle groups should be full and round.

In relation to your upper body, your shoulders should be wider than your hips.

To generally work out the leg muscles, choose a position with your feet shoulder-width apart. To emphasize the outer quadriceps, place your legs close together with your feet pointing forward. Finally, to shift the load to your inner thighs, choose a wider stance (wider than your shoulders), with your feet turned out to the sides at a 45-degree angle.

Leg extension in the simulator and lying leg curl

These exercises for the butt and legs for girls are best suited for working the quadriceps, upper trapezius and biceps. To perform the elements you need a simulator with a horizontal seat. In this position, it is convenient to straighten your legs; the backrest supports the upper body well, which prevents injury from a possible fall of weight and reduces the load on the back.

Performance:

The weight of the exercise machine is adjusted to individual parameters. Sitting upright, clasp your arms around your arms and lift your legs behind the bolster.
As you exhale, straighten your legs with emphasis, hold the position for 2-3 seconds, and take the starting position.

The exercise is performed with two legs or one at a time. Changing the position of the socks allows you to develop different areas of the thigh:

If you keep your toes straight, the load on the muscle is distributed evenly.
If the heels are brought together and the toes are turned in opposite directions, the inner thigh is actively pumped.
When you bring your toes towards each other, the muscles in the back of your legs work.

To gain muscle mass, perform 10-15 repetitions in 3 sets. To dry, you need to put in more effort, 15-20 repetitions in 3 sets.

For bending legs in a lying position, a machine with the ability to adjust the weight from the moving part is perfect. In the process of performing the element, the gastrocnemius, semimembranosus, and biceps femoral head are involved.

Technique for performing calf exercises for girls:

Lying on your stomach, your feet are placed behind the roller, your knees are suspended, your torso is pressed against the machine.
As you exhale, bend your legs completely, pushing the roller until it touches your buttocks. To improve performance, while at the top point, you can raise your knees.

Insulation.

For general quadriceps work, focus on the feeling that it is the quadriceps muscle that is doing all the work throughout the entire range of motion.

Remember to adhere to strict technique for performing the exercise. Make sure that when doing leg extensions on the machine, your hamstring is firmly attached to the bench and your knee is not hanging over the seat.

You can also influence how much stress is placed on the desired muscle during isolation movements. To stimulate your quadriceps, be sure to fully straighten your knees when doing leg extensions.

At the top of the amplitude, you can hold the peak contraction for as long as you can. This technique in an isolation movement will give you an incredible pump!

Read also: Leg and butt training from Erin Stern: 6 basic exercises in the Smith machine.

To target the hamstrings in isolation during leg curls, maintain strict form and don't let your hips lift off the bench to help lift the weight.

Standing leg curls are more technically advantageous for working the hamstrings because they force you to hold your pelvis in place, placing more emphasis on your hamstrings.

Main conclusions

To effectively pump up the muscles of the legs and buttocks, a woman must remember the following rules:

Do exercises in the gym that develop the muscles of your thighs, legs, feet, and buttocks.
Combine basic elements with isolating and cardio exercises.
Remember that the risk of over-pumping for a woman is minimal, since the level of testosterone in their body is low.
Follow a diet and drinking regime.
Train 1-2 times a week, with one session being harder and the other a little easier.
Before the complex, do a warm-up, and after it, stretch.
Constantly and gradually increase the load on the leg muscles so that their development does not stop.

If you follow these recommendations, you will be able to qualitatively pump up the muscles of the lower body, then toned, sculpted legs and firm buttocks will become a reality, not a dream.

Priority.

If your legs are a weaker part of your body, train them on the first day of your training split so you can work them with a higher energy level.

Focus on doing each set with perfect form, don't chase the weights, feel every movement and muscle contraction, and train intensely - so you can get the most out of your gym sessions.

Alternate your workouts every week. In the first, you perform strength exercises (squats, Romanian deadlifts) in the low rep range. In the second week - traditional multi-joint and isolation movements in a higher repetition range. This will give you the best of both worlds—stimulating maximum strength in one workout and high-intensity movements for hypertrophy and conditioning in the next.

Train hard enough.

Once again I want to emphasize how important it is to train hard enough. Many women who work with iron know this and naturally observe muscle growth.

The key to this is a large number of sets with increasingly heavier weights.

Let's take squats as an example. The first 3 sets are more than a warm-up; they allow you to go deep into the exercise, feel and prepare your muscles for heavier sets as the weight increases.

Then, as always, you will reach your final set, and if you try to increase the weight beyond your limit, you will only get half reps! So you count your strength. But it's also important not to lift lower weights to complete the set number of reps.

Who cares if you do all six reps with the same weight you've been using for the last 3 weeks?! It is much better to increase it by 5 kg, perform 4 repetitions and progress with this weight and try to bring the repetitions to 6. This stimulation activates the growth of your muscles.

If you decide to train your calf muscles in one workout, simply add two different exercises for this muscle group for a total of 5-6 sets. In addition, you can train the lower leg on a separate day with other muscle groups.

Workout No. 1 (Week - 1)

Warm up: 5-10 minutes of moderate cardio and full body dynamic stretching.

1. Squats

Set #1 – 20 reps.
Set #2 – 15 reps.
Set #3 – 10 reps.
Set #4 – 8 reps.
Set #5 – 6 reps.
Set #6 – 4 reps.

2. Romanian deadlift

Set #1 – 15 reps.
Set #2 – 12 reps.
Set #3 – 10 reps.
Set #4 – 8 reps.
Set #5 – 6 reps.
Set #6 – 4 reps.

Workout No. 2 (Week - 2)

Warm up: 5-10 minutes of moderate cardio and full body dynamic stretching.

1. Leg press

Set #1 – 20 reps.
Set #2 – 15 reps.
Set #3 – 10 reps.
Set #4 – 8 reps.
Set #5 – 6 reps.

2. Hack - squats

Set #1 – 15 reps.
Set #2 – 12 reps.
Set #3 – 10 reps.
Set #4 – 8 reps.

3. Leg extension in the simulator

Set #1 – 15 reps.
Set #2 – 12 reps.
Set #3 – 10 reps.
Set #4 – 8 reps.

4. Standing leg curls

Set #1 – 12 reps.
Set #2 – 10 reps.
Set #3 – 8 reps.
Set #4 – 6 reps.

The training is carried out according to the principle of a straight pyramid with a gradual increase in weight. The first 2 approaches are by default warm-up. The last 2 sets should be completed to failure.

Rest between sets is 1 - 1.5 minutes, between exercises 2-3 minutes.

LEGS|BACK|CHEST|SHOULDERS|ARMS|ABS, SHINS|

Exercises in the leg room for girls

First, let's dispel the myths and explain that squats will only strengthen the gluteal muscles, not grow. The body requires regular exercise to maintain its tone.

The set of exercises presented below must be performed systematically. In fact, it will take no more than an hour every day. The main thing is to choose the right exercises.

Regularity will not only strengthen muscle mass, but also speed up metabolic processes in the body. Eat right, motivate yourself and you will be rewarded with a slim, toned body.

Squats

Let's consider a step-by-step training algorithm:

You need to stand facing the platform.
Place the roller on your forearms.
Keep your body straight.
Pull your stomach in and release your supports.
Slowly lower yourself down, then return to the starting position.

The gluteal muscle and hips are being pumped. The deeper the squat, the more muscles will be involved in the process.